K media buying group Aegis reported brisk trade in a recovering advertising market. The group, which owns Europe's largest advertising planning and buying agency, Carat, expects to deliver growth in 2005. While the firm did not release its own forecasts, the analysts' consensus figure for full-year pre-tax profit, before goodwill and exceptional items was �92.5 million, up from �80.5 million last year.

Aegis said the turnover of its media operations was ahead of the same period last year and that Carat had increased its market share. Its market research unit, Synovate, made sound progress with growth in Europe and Asia-Pacific. The group's profit before tax was �36.4 million in the first six months of the year, compared with �30.9 million a year before. Revenue was �338.9 million, up 15 per cent from �294.7 million in the first half of 2003. Aegis announced that its digital network, Isobar, had bought US Internet search marketing agency iProspect in a deal worth up to �26m.... more